My guest today is Elle James, author of tales of murder and suspense for Harlequin Intrigue.
ALASKAN FANTASY is her latest release for the month of December. So hurry before the end of December to grab your copy!
Blurb: Grieving for her dead husband, Stealth Operations Specialist, Kat Sikes, returns home to Alaska to vacation. Instead of relaxing in a cozy cabin, she ends up taking her brother’s position on the Iditarod dogsled race when her brother’s sexy friend is targeted by a crazed killer.
Oil geologist, Sam Russell’s participation in the Iditarod race, becomes a struggle for survival. Together, he and Kat race through the Alaskan landscape dodging bullets while fighting their growing respect and love for each other. Will the frigid cold of the Alaskan trail chill the fiery passion building between them or will the killer succeed in eliminating them from the race?
Today Elle is giving away a copy of Cowboy Sanctuary to one lucky commenter. All you need to do to enter the draw is post a comment. Don’t forget to check back in the comments the following day to see if you’re the winner.
It’s all in the setting….
I struggled with what to say in this blog, after all it’s December and I’m all thinked out! This has been a busy year, not only for my writing, but for all the other hats I wear. So I turned back to this month’s release and tried to think of what made it unusual. Duh! ALASKA! ALASKAN FANTASY is about Alaska, man against nature, and the frontier spirit still alive and well in that great and wild state. It’s all about the setting…or is it? Setting is what gives you a sense of place, but in this case, it gives you a sense of the characters involved. Not everyone can eek out a living in a state that’s dark half of the year. Not everyone is cut out to deal with the danger of running a race along the infamous Iditarod Trail. It takes special people, loaded with courage and chutzpah to undertake an 1150-mile race with nothing more than a team of fabulous dogs, a sled and a dream to complete the race. That’s right, not everyone is out to win. Many are out to prove to themselves they and their dogs can complete the grueling journey. Toss in a crazy man trying to sabotage or kill you and you have a race of a lifetime!
So is it all in the setting? Yes and no. Yes: Without the extreme conditions, you wouldn’t necessarily see our hero and heroine at their darkest and their greatest. With it, you see them overcome adversity, beat the bad guys at their own game and triumph! That’s why I write romance–always a happy ending. And the flip side…No: The characters have to be heroic no matter the setting. They have to learn and grow, overcome adversity and shine no matter what setting. You have to love your characters in order to follow them through their obstacles and growth. But the combination of great setting and great characters is killer! What do you think? What setting would you like to see in a book? What settings have you seen that made the book richer and more interesting?
escape with…….
Elle James
Alaskan Fantasy - Harlequin Intrigue - Dec 07
Texas-Sized Secrets - Harlequin Intrigue - Mar 08
Roses Colored Glasses - a writer’s resource.
You are a new author to me. I saw your book in the store last week, now I will buy it .
by Estella December 17th, 2007 at 5:35 amThanks, Estalla! I loved writing ALASKAN FANTASY so much, I’m writing another ALASKA story for next November. It’s about North Pole, AL ( a real place ). Santa Claus is missing and his daughter Mary Christmas has to find him. With the help of the hunky hero, Nicolas St. Clair!
by Elle James December 17th, 2007 at 6:39 amI’m looking forward to reading your Alaskan Fantasy, Elle! Congratulations!!
by Red December 17th, 2007 at 9:12 amAlaskan Fantasy sounds fantastic! I will definitely read it!
God Bless,
by Rhonda Barnes December 17th, 2007 at 10:08 amRhonda
I’m happy with any setting - from small town America to outback Australia to Regency London and the far reaches of outer space. I enjoy slightly different settings and Alaska is one. Anything that’s exotic for me is a good setting. For me it’s the armchair travel thing. If I can’t go on holiday I want to be whisked away in my reading.
I read a lot of urban fantasy and particularly like that Keri Arthur’s Riley Jensen series is set in Melbourne, Australia. We need more urban fantasies that aren’t set in big city America!
by Shelley Munro December 17th, 2007 at 12:05 pmI just picked up a copy of Alaskan Fantasy. Can’t wait to read it. The next Alaska story sounds soo very fun…Will make the quick passage of time ok this year!
by Kimberley December 17th, 2007 at 12:35 pmAll these stories sound really good. I’m making a list, watch out book stores here I come!
by Tammy G. December 17th, 2007 at 12:54 pmlooks like another to add to the list of my reads! nice cover too !
by Tina brunelle December 17th, 2007 at 12:56 pmOoooh… love the cover. I wouldn’t mind getting caught in a snowstorm with that hottie. Hehehe!
As for the setting, sometimes it works to create conflict. Sometimes it doesn’t. To me, it doesn’t matter. I’m more of an inner-conflict kinda girl. Heh! However, I’ve noticed most reader prefer certain settings over others.
by Tempest Knight December 17th, 2007 at 12:59 pmAlaska sounds like a fun setting. I like cold places.
I like to have my characters interact with the setting by sending my sun spoiled Romans into the German woods and Scottish highlands, and maybe other interesting places later on. It certainly can add a layer to a novel.
by Gabriele December 17th, 2007 at 2:05 pmOne advantage of an offbeat setting is that the reader will take you initially on trust and expect it to be strange and different, exerting pressures upon your characters to develop in ways they couldn’t in more mundane surroundings, but there is a down side. You have to make it right!
by Amy Gallow December 17th, 2007 at 2:21 pmMake one mistake in logic or detail and their trust evaporates.
With few exceptions, I hate sea stories, because they never get it right, which makes those that do stand out.
Good luck with Alaska,
Amy
Sounds great! I am looking forward to reading it. The cover is awesome too!
by Betty A December 17th, 2007 at 2:37 pmAlaska sounds like a great read! And the cover looks great too!
by Amelia December 17th, 2007 at 3:29 pmI loved the cover too. It’s perfect for one of the scenes in the book. I did research and despite the cold, they do have a little fun along the trail. It’s one way to beat off the hypothermia!
by Elle James December 17th, 2007 at 3:35 pmIt sounds like a great book and I agree all romance have to have happy ending.
I love strong heros and heroines.
by Larena Wirum December 17th, 2007 at 4:25 pmI love unusual settings like Alaska, love tropical island settings as well and European ones too. This sounds like a really good story.
by Cherie J December 17th, 2007 at 4:29 pmThis is totally awesome. I stopped by the store this morning to grab a book to read while I waited for my mother to have some tests run. Being in Georgia (which had 80 + degree weather up until last Friday), I wanted something that would help get me in the winter mood. ALASKAN FANTASY fit the bill perfectly and kept me so engrossed that the whole day of tests passed like a flash. In fact, Mom had to wait for me to finish a certain part near the end before I would drive her home. LOL What great luck to come in and find you as today’s blogger! Can’t wait to see your next one!
by Kristal S December 17th, 2007 at 5:06 pmOh this sounds great! I’m going to be going to the bookstore tomorrow at lunch, so I’ll have to pick this up too.
by Christine d'Abo December 17th, 2007 at 5:13 pmI’m subscribed to Harlequin Intrigue, I look forward to receiving your book :)
by Huguette E December 17th, 2007 at 8:32 pmKristal, so glad ALASKAN FANTASY kept you cool in Georgia! My next book comes out in March, it’s called Texas-Sized Secrets. Nothing like a little cattle-rustlin’ to get the blood moving. Wow, that was a really bad pun.
And Huguette, goodluck getting my book in the bookclub mail out. I’m still new on the Harlequin Intrigue block with only 6 books out so far. I don’t get in many of the bookclub mailings. You might have to run out to your local Wally-world for a copy of Alaskan Fantasy! In case you all didn’t know, there are 6 Intrigues released every month and only 4 go into the bookclub mailing. Bummer, huh? I love all the Intrigues, they’re fast paced and fabulous! Okay, so I’m a bit biased.
by Elle James December 17th, 2007 at 9:40 pmToday’s winner is Cherie J.
Email me at shelley munro @ gmail.com (no spaces) with your full name and postal address so we can send you your prize.
Congrats, Cherie!
by Shelley Munro December 18th, 2007 at 12:09 pmThank you! I just emailed you.
by Cherie J December 18th, 2007 at 4:01 pm